Reconnecting to What's Important
by CTI-Jenn
Summary: In my story Coming to Terms, Lindsay thinks about the dates Danny has been having with the women in his life.  This story explores what gave him the idea and the dates themselves.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes: Okay shame on me for even thinking of doing another story when I haven't finished Begin Anew or Gassed. I promise I am working on them. The case for Begin Anew is about to come to an end and that'll only leave the wedding to go. The next chapter of Gassed is in the works and more fleshed out in my head than on the computer but it is coming. Anyway, this story is an offshoot for Coming to Terms (you don't have to have read it to understand this one) and was written in response to the request made by Afrozenheart412. It should be four chapters long. Hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: CBS, Anthony E. Zuiker, Carol Mendelsohn, and Ann Donahue own all rights to the characters and premise of the show. I am making no money off this story and it is for entertainment purposes only. However, this particular story is my creation and should not be used without my express written permission.

Reconnecting to What's Important

Chapter 1

_Eighteen year old Danny Messer stepped awkwardly into the hospital room. He was surprised to find no one there save for the frail elderly man lying in the hospital bed. The only sounds that filled the room was the soft swoosh of the oxygen, the ragged guttural breathing of the patient himself, and the various beeps of the monitors that were littered across the room. Where was his mother? His aunt and uncles? Why was this man who was so obviously at the threshold of Death's door all alone in what could be his final moments? _

_Tears pricked his eyes and he made his way to the bed and pulled an almost forgotten chair close to the bedside. Almost reverently, he took the elderly man's hand in his own and gave it a gentle squeeze. He was almost afraid that just that simple movement would be enough to crush the frail bones in the man who had at one time seemed so strong. _

"_Poppi, it's Danny. I got here as soon as I could. I'm here." He was almost begging his grandfather to hear him; to know that he was there. He said a silent prayer that he wasn't too late to say his goodbyes. He'd been in class when his mother had called to leave a message that it was only a matter of time before her father passed away so by the time he'd gotten the message he'd been afraid he wouldn't make it to the hospital in time. He knew his grandfather was still alive, the raggedness of the old man's breathing assured him there was still life but was he conscious enough to even be aware of his grandson's presence?_

_For a few seconds there was no response from the frail figure dying in the hospital bed but Danny continued to cling to the fragile hand hoping for some sign of recognition. Then the raggedness of the breath stopped for just as second, causing Danny's heart to skip a beat. This was going to be it then. He'd arrived just in time to see his grandfather take his last breath. Could he console himself with the fact that at least he hadn't died alone? Then the breathing began again and the old man's eyes fluttered opened. He turned his head to the side and a small smile crept past the edges of the oxygen mask._

"_Daniel, you're here."_

_A silent tear ran down Danny's cheek but he made no move to push it aside. He wasn't sure he'd be able to speak past the lump that had formed in his throat but he had to try. "Of course I'm here, Poppi." Then realizing the elderly man might be questioning where the rest of the family was, given the circumstances, he proceeded quickly. "I guess everyone else stepped out for a moment."_

_The older man shook his head. "No one else would be here, Daniel. You're here, that's what's important."_

_No one else would be here? Why would he say that? Danny shook his head. "Of course they're here, Poppi. You're …" he cut himself off. Did his grandfather realize he was dying?_

_With the hand that wasn't firmly enclosed in Danny's grasp, his grandfather reached up to push aside the oxygen mask. Danny started to protest but the old man waved off his attempts. "Like peeing on a forest fire. It's not doing much good. I'm dying, Daniel. But the truth is I've been dead to the ones that are important for years now."_

_Danny shook his head, not willing to acknowledge to himself or to the grandfather that he loved that he was aware of the distance between the man lying before him and the children he'd sired, including Danny's own mother. "No, Poppi, don't talk that way."_

_His grandfather shook his head. "Shh, Daniel, indulge a dying man. I feel blessed that I didn't make the same mistakes with you that I made with the others in my life. I see the tears on your face and while I hate the pain it's causing you, they make my heart lighter."_

_A wracking cough stopped him and Danny forced the mask back over his face until the coughs subsided. Once the fit had passed, his grandfather pointed to the water pitcher beside the bed and Danny lifted the mask to help the elderly man take a drink. Once the cup was once more on the nightstand table, his grandfather continued. "I don't have much time, Daniel but I have to make sure you understand my mistakes so you don't make the same ones."_

_Danny didn't want his grandfather to tax himself but he could tell this was important to the old man so he nodded, straining to catch every word. It took him a moment to work up the energy to continue. "I was a good provider for my family, Daniel. I made sure there was always enough food on the table and that their needs were always taken care of." _

_Danny nodded. "Of course you did, Poppi. You were a great father…"_

_The elderly man shook his head. "No, not a great father. Great provider. Except I forgot to provide my family with what was truly important. My time. I was too busy making a living that I missed out on living my life. My kids grew up and I missed all the important moments in their lives. I was too busy making money that I forgot about making memories."_

_It bothered Danny to hear his grandfather speak so critically of his skills as a father. He'd always known that his mother wasn't close to her father; not like his father was to his father but he'd never understood it. His grandfather had always been there for him, spending time with him, watching his games. It never occurred to Danny that it hadn't been the same when his mother was growing up. His chin was quivering with the sobs that threatened to overwhelm him. _

"_You made some great memories, Poppi; memories that will stay with me the rest of my life. I love you, Poppi." His voice caught in his throat and he now gripped his grandfather's hand in both of his own, holding it close under his chin. The older man reached over with his free hand and wiped away one of the free-falling tears with his wrinkled thumb. A few tears were sliding unnoticed down his own wizened cheeks._

"_And I love you, Daniel. I'm glad that I had the chance to do right by you at least. You are growing into a fine young man. One day you will fall in love and have a family of your own. I just pray that you learn from my mistakes. Be a good provider but be an even better father. Don't lose sight of what's really important - family." _

_With those words, his eyes closed and his body went slack against the bed. The hand that had been wiping away Danny's tears went limp and Danny didn't need to look toward the monitors that were now all a flat line to know that his grandfather was gone. Still, he continued to sit there holding tightly to his grandfather's hand, the sobs that had been holding back bursting forth with a vengeance. It was only a matter of time before nurses and doctors rushed in but he made no move to call them in any earlier. He wasn't ready to admit that he was dead. Instead, the old man's dying words reverberated in Danny's head, replaying themselves over and over again like when the needle of the old record player he used to listen to as a child got stuck playing a record and kept repeating the same line over and over again. _

_He was young enough to question whether he'd ever settle down and get married but he owed it to his grandfather to honor his dying request. "I promise, Poppi. I promise."_

_- CSI: NY - CSI: NY - CSI: NY -_

Twenty Years Later

Sergeant Danny Messer opened the door to his apartment as quietly as he could. He didn't need to look at his watch to confirm what his body had been telling him for the last hour. It was late. Actually, it was so late, it should be considered early instead. He knew both Lucy and Lindsay would have been asleep for hours and he didn't want to wake either of them. It seemed like sense his promotion, he spent less and less time with his family and more and more time at work. He had pushed for the promotion because of what it could mean down the road; it was a step closer to his dream of running the crime lab some day when Mac finally gave serious consideration to retiring for good, plus the money the promotion would be good for his small family. He'd even considered some of the cons of the promotion; not working in the lab, not being able to see Lindsay as much as he been fortunate enough to in the past. He just hadn't counted on the number of hours, or the times of those hours when he agreed to the promotion.

He missed his family. When was the last time he'd been able to sit down to a real meal with both his wife and daughter? When was the last time he'd been able to give Lucy her bath or put her to bed? Hell, he'd been able to do more as a father from his wheelchair than he currently was able to. Neither Lindsay or Lucy had complained although he knew they missed him as much as he missed them.

He stopped in the kitchen first to turn out the light Lindsay always left burning for him so he wouldn't have to come into a dark apartment. His eyes drifted to the refrigerator where Lucy's latest artist accomplishment had been pinned by a magnet. It was a family drawing which surprised him since lately all of Lucy's creations had been of dinosaurs since she'd fixated on the Land Before Time movies. Not that he'd been able to witness this new fascination first hand but Lindsay had told him all about her new love for the "Little Foot" movies as Lucy called them. He studied this new picture carefully, recognizing what had to be him, a stick man drawn in blue which he assumed must be his uniform. He was holding stick hands with a small stick figure with blonde hair and a big grin that had to be Lucy. Lucy in turn was holding hands with a slightly larger female stick figure with short almost spiky brown hair. He grinned as he wondered what Lindsay had thought about Lucy's interpretation of her hairdo.

It was what was written in a childish scrawl in the top corner that turned his grin to tears. Two words on either side of a large crudely drawn heart, several letters turned backward. Lucy on one side of the heart, and Daddy on the other side. He'd been more emotional all day long, a fact he contributed to it being the anniversary of his grandfather's death. This anniversary was bothering him more than most because it had hit him like a punch to the gut that he was doing exactly what he'd promised his grandfather on his death bed that he wouldn't do.

He twisted around and slid down the refrigerator burying his head in his hands as he was overcome by heart-wrenching sobs. Some corner of his mind warned him that he was going to wake everyone up but he couldn't control his emotions any further.

Sure enough, it wasn't a couple of minutes later before Lindsay was padding softly from their bedroom into the kitchen, her pink fluffy robe tied haphazardly around her waist. She sank to the floor in front of her husband and drew him comfortingly into her arms. She didn't question his sobs but merely held him, rocking back and forth much the way she did when Lucy was upset. He clung to her desperately, wanting to reassure her that he was okay but unable to form any words. He wasn't sure how long they sat there like that until at last his tears were spent and Lindsay's robe was soaked. He drew in a ragged breath.

"I love you so much. You know that, don't you? And Lucy? Does she know how much I love her?" His eyes pleaded with her even though he knew she wouldn't understand his angst.

But Lindsay just captured his face between her hands and kissed him gently, just brushing her lips against his at first before flicking her tongue out begging entrance. He parted his lips and let her tongue sweep inside his almost hungrily. She let her kiss convince him in a way no words ever could be able to. She kissed him until they both had to pull back for air. Then she rested her head against his forehead. "Danny, of course I know you love me. Lucy knows it as well. Didn't you see her picture?"

He nodded. "Sure she loves me now but what about in a few years when I've missed so much of her life? Will she remember that I love her with every beat of my heart and breath that I take? What am I doing to my family, Linds? I'm such a selfish…"

Before he could finish, she covered his mouth with her finger, silencing him. "Finish that statement and I'll slug you. And you know how hard I can hit. Danny, yeah, it's been a rough transition but it's going to get better. You aren't selfish; you are doing this for us. Now, tomorrow, and years from now both Lucy and I are going to know how much you love us because you never let us forget it. Now be honest, is it the job that's upsetting you this much or is it the date that's getting to you?"

Danny just stared at her in amazement. He'd never told her about being there for his grandfather's death; not because he was trying to hide things from her but hadn't known exactly how to share such a painful memory. She kissed him lightly once again before explaining. "You always get a little sentimental this time of year and tonight while Lucy and I were at dinner with your parents, your mom mentioned that it was the anniversary of her father's death and that you'd been close to him. I'm so sorry, Babe."

"Damn, I forgot we were suppose to have dinner with my parents tonight. I got so caught up with work tonight that I completely forgot about it." He hugged her close once more as a fresh onslaught of tears threatened. "I promised him that I wouldn't let the job become more important than my family. I let him down, Linds. His dying wish was that I not make the same mistakes he made and I'm doing exactly what he warned me not to do."

"Danny, I don't think the job is more important to you than Lucy and I are. If I did, I would tell you, okay? Would I love more time to spend with you? Hell, yes but it'll get better. We'll make it work. Now, how about you go lie down with Lucy for a little bit, get a little snuggle time in with her before you come to bed."

"I'll wake her up." Danny protested but Lindsay simply shrugged.

"If she wakes up, she'll be over the moon at getting to spend some snuggle time with her daddy. But your father pretty well wore her out tonight; I doubt she'll stir. Then when you've gotten your fill of cuddling with her, come on to bed and you can snuggle up to me."

"I don't think it's possible to get my fill of cuddling with her even with the prospect of snuggling with you." Danny protested and Lindsay smiled.

"Then go grab a quick shower. I'll move Lucy to our bed and the three of us can spend the rest of the night all snuggled together."

Now Danny smiled as well. "That sounds perfect to me."

- CSI: NY - CSI: NY - CSI: NY -

The next few weeks did improve slightly in terms of the time he got to spend with his family but his grandfather's warning still stayed in the back of his mind. After the whole IAB investigation died down, his decision to move back to the crime lab had been an easy one. Returning back to the lab had been like coming home and he had been welcomed back as if he'd never left. The best part was that he was once again able to spend the time he'd been missing out with Lindsay and Lucy. Even though things were better, he still felt like he needed to do more to reconnect to those he loved.

He'd been back in the lab for about a month when he pulled a case of a possible suicide that looked suspicious. They had found a prescription bottle for strong antidepressants and Mac had suggested that Danny pay the prescribing doctor a visit. So that was how Danny found himself sitting in the waiting room, flipping through old magazines waiting for the doctor to finish with a doctor so he could talk to him. Danny had only absently been looking at one magazine when the title of one article caught his attention.

_Dating Multiple Women at Once_

He shook his head. "Asshole can't be happy with just one?" But something made him continue reading.

_I've recently started dating again and not just dates with my wife. And my marriage is so much better because of it. __Before you think I'm a complete jerk, let me assure you that the idea was completely my wife's idea. So far I've had a date with my mother, my sister, my grandmother, and my wife. Tomorrow, I've got a date planned with my daughter. _

_The dates haven't been so elaborate, just dinner, movie, art show, little things. But for each date, I've gotten dressed up like I haven't done since I was courting my wife. Reconnecting with the important women in my life has not only improved my relationships with each family member but I think they've also made me a better person. _

The article continued but Danny didn't. He sat there staring at the first couple of paragraphs, deep in thought. Wasn't that what he wanted? To reconnect with what was really important in his life? Make up for that time that he'd missed out on during his brief stint as a sergeant? He glanced at his watch and then reached for his cell phone.

He waited until a familiar voice answered. "Hey, Ma, it's Danny. Look, Friday is Dad's poker night, right? … You got any plans while he's out? … Great, I'll pick you up at seven… No, nothing's wrong. I just want to take you out to dinner."


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Notes: This chapter will be Danny's "date" with his mother. I hope you enjoy. Reviews are always welcomed and appreciated.

Disclaimer: CBS, Anthony E. Zuiker, Carol Mendelsohn, and Ann Donahue own all rights to the characters and premise of the show. I am making no money off this story and it is for entertainment purposes only. However, this particular story is my creation and should not be used without my express written permission.

Reconnecting with What's Important

Chapter 2

At exactly ten minutes until seven on Friday night, Danny pulled the Avalanche into his parents' driveway. He turned off the engine but didn't get out immediately. Instead, he checked his reflection in the review mirror. Although he'd shaved that morning, he'd ran the razor over his face as he got ready just to make sure he'd removed any trace of a five o'clock shadow that might have crept back onto his features during the day. Lindsay never seemed to mind a hint of a stubble but tonight wasn't about looking good for his wife; his mother had always preferred him looking clean-shaven. He'd also decided against his contacts tonight, opting instead for the glasses he'd been more than happy to give up almost two years earlier simply because his mother liked him in glasses.

Opening his door, he picked up the small florist's box that held the simple orchid corsage that Lindsay had ordered for him. For just a moment he felt like he was back to his teenage days picking up a girl for the prom. He chuckled softly. He doubted he was ever as nervous for those dates as he was for tonight. In fact, the only time he could remember being this nervous before a date other than tonight was his second attempt at a date with Lindsay. Of course his first attempt with her had led to him sitting in a restaurant with Lindsay as a no-show so his nerves that night were understandable.

Before he could shut his door and head up the walkway to the front door, his cell phone rang. Recognizing the ring tone, he reached down and unclipped it from his holster, pushing his sports jacket out of the way. Flipping the phone open, he held it to his ear. "Hey Babe, I didn't forget anything did I?"

Her soft voice chuckled in his ear. "No, but I had a feeling you were still feeling a little nervous and I wanted to tell you again to relax and have a good time. Remember, your mother is just as nervous as you are."

"Yeah, right." Danny protested. "I've never known Ma to be nervous a day in her life. Why would you think she was?"

Again Lindsay chuckled before answering. "Because she's already called here twice in the last half hour. First she wanted to make sure she was dressed appropriately and then she wanted to make sure she had the time right."

Danny faintly blushed to think his normally unflappable mother was just as nervous as he was. "I love you, Babe. You sure you don't mind me doing this?"

"Are you crazy?" Her voice was soft and sweet. "I told you before that this might be the sweetest thing you've ever done and trust me you've done some pretty sweet things. Enjoy your evening; I'll try to wait up for you but if I fall asleep, wake me when you get in."

Danny promised and returned the phone to his clip. Lindsay had known about the date before he'd ever gotten home thanks to his mother. She must have called Lindsay as soon as she hung up from talking to him. Anna Messer had questioned her daughter-in-law about why Danny had suddenly invited her to dinner. Despite not knowing what was going on, Lindsay had assured her mother-in-law that nothing was wrong. Once Danny had explained to Lindsay the motivation behind the sudden invitation, tears had filled her eyes and she had kissed him passionately.

He'd barely rapped on the door twice before his mother swung it open. Ordinarily, he'd would have just burst right in without knocking but he wanted to do this date right. He had dressed up for the occasion, wearing his black dress shoes and a dark green button down shirt under his black sports coat. He'd even made a point to polish his black dress shoes before putting them on. He was glad for the effort as he took in his mother's appearance.

She'd settled on the blue dress she'd bought last year for the special anniversary dinner with Danny's father. Around her neck she wore the pearls Lindsay had selected for her for Christmas the year Lucy was born. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "You look gorgeous, Ma."

A rosy blush settled on her cheeks but her entire face lit up at the compliment. He handed her the corsage and then helped her to pin it to her dress. Then he helped her with her shawl before leading her out of the house to the Avalanche. He opened the passenger door for her and waited until she was settled before closing the door and going to the other side.

"You got your hair done didn't you, Ma? I like it like that." Danny asked as he backed out of the driveway. Again his mother beamed and he said a silent thank you for the reminder Lindsay had given him before he'd left the apartment to compliment his mother generously.

"Daniel, are you sick? Is Lindsay pregnant? Are the two of you having problems? What's wrong? What ever it is, we'll make it better."

Danny chuckled warmly. He guessed his sudden invitation had caught everyone by surprised. He reached over and gave her hand a squeeze. "Relax, Ma; I'm not sick; Lindsay's not pregnant and our relationship is just fine. I just wanted to do something nice for you, that's all."

"All my friends were so jealous when I told them you were taking me out to dinner. I can't think of the last time I went out to eat when it wasn't a special occasion like a birthday or anniversary. Marge said her son once took her out to dinner but that was because he wanted to tell her he was gay and wanted her to be in public so she couldn't react to the news. I told her that would definitely not be the case here; after all you are married and a father - you aren't gay, are? Not that there's anything wrong with it."

Danny was glad that particular question had come up while they were in the car and not while at the restaurant and he was attempting to eat. "No, Ma, I'm not gay. Lindsay would be more than happy to confirm that if you want to call her."

"No, no of course not."

The rest of the ride to the restaurant was uneventful. Danny pulled up in front of the restaurant and climbed out, tossing the keys to the valet before coming around to open the door for his mother. He'd already made sure that all sensitive equipment for work was locked away so that he could be comfortable allowing the Avalanche to be valet parked. As they stepped inside, Anna's hand flew to her mouth. She leaned close to Danny.

"Daniel, this place is too expensive. Really, I would be just as happy going somewhere less pricy."

"Stop worrying, Ma. You'll love the food here." He approached the maitre d. "Reservations for two under the name Messer."

"Yes sir, your table is ready. If you'll follow me." The man led the way through the elegant dining room to a small table near the window. Danny, not about to be outdone by the maitre d, held the chair out for his mother. Before letting the man get away, he leaned toward him and whispered something in his ear. The man smiled knowingly and nodded. He stepped away momentarily as Danny took his own seat and returned a moment later with two menus. "Angelica will be your hostess tonight and will be here momentarily to get your drink orders.'

Mother and son opened their menus and glanced over the offerings. Anna frowned and looked over her menu at Danny. "Daniel, there are no prices on this menu."

Danny smiled. "I know. I want you to order what you would like without worrying about the cost. I know you, if you could see the prices you would order the cheapest thing just to make yourself feel better even if it wasn't something you especially liked."

Anna shook her head. "You should be saving your money, not wasting it on me."

Danny set his menu aside and looked at her seriously. "Ma, quit worrying about money. I've got this covered and more importantly I want to do this. Please, let me spoil you a little; you'll only hurt my feelings otherwise."

Unable to argue with his logic, Anna nodded and picked up the menu once again. "Have you eaten here before? There are so many good choices I don't know what to pick."

"A friend from work recommended the place." Danny admitted. The truth was he hadn't been sure whether he should take Sid Hammerback's recommendation but a quick call to his wife Alice had assured him that it was a good place to take his mother. "What about the veal. You like it and I hear it's quite good."

The next few minutes were taken up with placing their order. Once Angelica had taken the menus and returned with their drinks, Anna once again broached the subject she'd been curious about. "Seriously, Daniel, what brought this own?"

Danny sighed knowing he wouldn't be able to get her to relax and enjoy the evening until he explained. "Ma, I missed out on a lot during my stint as a sergeant. Missed out on dinners with you and Pop; time with Lindsay and Luce. Now that I have the time again, I want to make it up to all of you. I want to get my priorities back where they should be. I don't want to reach the end of my life and regret not being the person I should have been with those that I love."

Anna's features softened and she reached across the table to affectionately squeeze his hand. "Daniel, you are a wonderful son; the best that a mother could hope for. I see you with Lindsay and Lucy and I know that you are also an amazing husband and a wonderful father. How can you have regrets?"

Danny shook his head. "How can you ask me that? I simply ask you to dinner and you act like it's some momentous occasion. That alone tells me I've neglected you too much."

"Daniel, I could see you every single day and I would still think of each time as a momentous occasion. You are a blessing from God and I thank him daily for giving me a son I could be proud of. You and your brother. Yes, I feel the same way about Louie despite the mistakes he made with his life. Never doubt that."

For a few minutes mother and son simply held each other's gazes. Their meals arrived and they left the seriousness of the conversation drop as they enjoyed their dinner. Instead, conversation over dinner reverted back to safe and happy topics. Danny filled his mother in on Lucy's latest exploits to which Anna countered with similar stories from Danny's childhood. They laughed and joked and whether anyone else in the restaurant actually paid them any attention or not, Anna felt she was the envy of every woman who entered. Once they had finished the meals, Angelica returned to ask about dessert. Anna was about to refuse but Danny insisted.

"Come on, Ma; you gotta have dessert. If you don't want your own, how about we at least split one? My friend told me that the tiramisu is worth selling a kidney for. Not the most appetizing analogy but if you knew Sid you'd realize it was a high compliment."

Anna relented and once again they waited for their dessert to be delivered. Danny sighed, his mind drifting once again back to the reason that prompted him wanting to do something more with his life. "Ma, why weren't you and Poppi closer? He couldn't have been a horrible man or you never would have let me spend time with him."

She ran her finger over the rim of her water glass, not really wanting to answer but knowing that Danny was asking for reasons other than idle curiosity. "No, Daniel, he wasn't a horrible man, just not a great father. He was always too busy to be there for any of us. Work was always more important…"

"I don't want Lucy to one day say the same thing about me, Ma. Things are better now that I'm back in the lab but for a while I wasn't there for her like I should have been."

Anna shook her head. "Daniel, you are nothing like my father. You might have been busy with work but you felt bad about that time away from them. And when you weren't working, you made the most of every second you did have with them. My father never did that. When he was at home he was still too busy to spend quality time with me and my siblings. I regret not being closer to him and for not making amends before he died but I don't regret allowing you to be close to him. You were his second chance at redemption and fortunately for him he took it and made the most of it."

Their tiramisu arrived and both agreed that it was worth every unnecessary calorie. Finally Danny set his spoon aside and Anna looked at him knowingly. "What's still bothering you, Son?"

Danny removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He'd forgotten after two years of contacts how his glasses had always bothered him. "I don't want to be at the end of my life someday and worry that no one will want to be there with me when I take my last breath. I don't want to die like Poppi."

"You won't." Anna promised him. "You love the people in your life too strongly and they love you too much in return to ever let that happen. But Daniel, your Poppi didn't die alone. You were with him and I don't think he would have wanted it any other way."

With a slight nod, Danny was ready to put aside his fears and enjoy the evening. He was sure those thoughts would resurface from time to time but that was okay. As long as he was worried about being a good son, good husband, good father then it was a good sign that he would do everything in his power to be that person. In the end, no one could ask for more.

After their dessert was finished, Danny paid the bill being careful not to let his mother see the amount. He led her out of the restaurant and once the Avalanche was pulled around, they climbed back inside and Danny pulled off. Instead of driving straight home, they made little side trips, reminiscing about pleasant memories from Danny's childhood. By the time Danny pulled into the driveway once more, the time on the dashboard clock was late enough that had he still been a teenager taking a girlfriend home from a date, some father would probably be sitting on the front porch with a shotgun. However, in this case, it didn't appear that his father was home yet.

Danny walked his mother to the front door and went inside with her. They spent a little time sitting on the couch talking before Anna looked over at him. "So answer me this, Daniel, am I the only one fortunate enough to receive your time like this or are you going to be this sweet to your wife and daughter?"

Danny chuckled. "I plan on treating them both to a night on the town. I just haven't decided where I want to take Lindsay. It's been a while since we've had an opportunity to go somewhere without Lucy with us. I want to do something romantic and special."

"What did the two of you do for dates before you got married?"

Get drunk while playing pool and then end up having the most amazing night of sex on his pool table. Danny smiled at the memory but of course didn't admit that out loud to his mother. Obviously since Lucy was born just a couple of months after the wedding, Anna Messer knew beyond a doubt that they had engaged in premarital sex but he wasn't going to verbally confirm it. "I don't know; we didn't really do the conventional type dating. I thought about just asking her what she'd like to do but I kind of want to surprise her."

Anna smiled. "So get her to make several suggestions of things she'd like to do and then choose one. That way you know it's something she'll like and she won't know exactly what to expect. What ever you decide, let Lucy spend the night here. That way you can stay out as late as you want to or continue the date once you get home without little ears listening in."

Danny blushed bright red. "Ma, come on I don't want to talk about my sex life with my mom on the first date."

"So if I get a second date, then we can talk about your sex life?" Anna laughed at her son's expression. "What? I'm not getting any younger and I want a second grandchild at some point. Seriously, you make your plans for Lindsay and let me have a ball spoiling my beautiful granddaughter."

Knowing she wouldn't take no for an answer, Danny gave in. "Thanks Ma."

Anna shook her head. "No, thank you. Tonight was very special and I appreciate the meal but most importantly I appreciate the time I got to spend with you."

Danny hugged her tightly. "I don't plan on it being the last time. But I got to warn you, I don't care how many dates we have, we're never going to discuss my sex life."


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Notes: And now Danny's date with Lindsay. It gets a little heated but I tried to keep it within the rating. It sort of took on a life on its own and didn't want to end. It kept growing even as I edited it. I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: CBS, Anthony E. Zuiker, Carol Mendelsohn, and Ann Donahue own all rights to the characters and premise of the show. I am making no money off this story and it is for entertainment purposes only. However, this particular story is my creation and should not be used without my express written permission.

Reconnecting with What's Important

Chapter 3

It had taken almost two weeks for Danny to decide on the perfect date for Lindsay but then another for their schedules to coincide so they had a whole evening and the following morning off in order for him to enact his plan. Finally the day had arrived but it seemed like every clock in the entire state was conspiring against him to delay the event, not to mention a crime scene just two hours before his shift ended. He was anxious but it was a different kind of nervous energy than what he'd felt before his night out with his mom. This was more like he remembered experiencing on Christmas Eve, the feeling like morning would never come so he could see what glorious gifts Santa had left. He'd sworn several times then as he would now that the minute hand on his watch was moving backwards instead of forward.

"Danny? You going to actually photograph the crime scene or have you developed some sort of superpower you haven't told me about?" Mac probed gently. He'd sensed all afternoon that the younger CSI's attention hadn't been entirely on work but hadn't pressed him about it. Danny didn't appear to be upset about anything in particular but yet distracted all the same.

"Sorry, Boss. I'm on it." Danny apologized and concentrated on the task at hand. It wasn't a few minutes later that he was grinning in anticipation of the evening he was going to share with his beautiful wife. Everything was all arranged. A dressier change of clothes were waiting for him in his locker at the lab. He'd dress for the date at the end of his shift and then pick up Lucy and take her to his parents. Lindsay, who had today as well as tomorrow off, had offered to shuttle Lucy but Danny had declined. He didn't want her to have to worry about anything but the date itself.

Mac shook his head realizing Danny's attention was once more diverted. Ordinarily he'd tear into any of his employees for not being professional and focused at a crime scene but something told him to hold back this time. Though Mac hadn't said anything, he'd been more than a little concerned about Danny since he'd come back to the lab. He wasn't sure if it had something to do with the investigation that had ultimately led to Danny's decision to return to the lab or if something else had been bothering him but something had the younger man acting more than a little wistful. Seeing him happier if a little distracted was a positive sign and Mac wasn't going to complain.

"Tomorrow is going to be the first day both you and Lindsay have off together since you came back isn't it?' Mac probed gently, curious even if he didn't want to fuss. Danny nodded, glancing at his watch almost unconsciously. His easy grin dropped to a frown as he realized that now the minute hand was moving forward and was getting closer to the end of his shift but that there was a possibility the scene would prevent him from getting off on time. He couldn't very well leave Mac hanging with the excuse that he had a hot date planned. That wouldn't have flown while he was single and as much as Mac loved Lindsay, Danny doubted it would carry much weight now.

Mac noticed the change in mood almost immediately and was sure he knew the cause. He glanced around at the scene. "Danny, we're just about done here. I'll finish up here while you take the evidence back to the lab. Check it in and turn it over to Jo. Then get out of here. I'd hate to have Lindsay mad at me if I made you late for whatever it is you obviously have planned."

Danny's grin reemerged. "You sure?" It was a question but Danny was really hopeful that Mac wouldn't change his mind.

Mac nodded. "Go, have fun but stay out of trouble; that's an order."

Packing up the box of evidence he was to take back to the lab, Danny's grin became an almost smirk. "Trouble? Who, me? Whatta ya talkin' about?"

The drive back to the lab seemed to take forever but eventually he'd turned all the evidence over to Jo and made his way to the locker room. He showered and then changed into the dark washed jeans that almost looked black and splashed on some after shave before reaching for the navy blue buttoned down he'd selected for tonight. He was in the process of buttoning it up when a voice registered from behind.

"Wow, Messer, what's the occasion?" Flack's voice bordered on sardonic. He pulled out his cell phone and at first Danny thought he was about to snap a picture but instead he seemed to access an app on his phone. He shook his head. "It's not your anniversary; your birthday was a couple of months ago and Lindsay's is still several months off. What are you feeling guilty about and how bad is it going to upset Lindsay?"

Danny frowned; why would his best friend automatically assume he had done something wrong? "Stuff it, Flack. Ma has Lucy tonight so Lindsay and I are going out. That's all. I didn't do anything and Lindsay is not nor will she be upset. Is that so hard to believe?"

Flack circled him slowly, giving a quick sniff as he got closer to his friend. "Aftershave? Dressed up? All done here instead of at home? Yeah, Danno, it's a little hard to believe. Seriously, get out of the doghouse quick; whatever you did, Lindsay doesn't deserve your junk."

The good mood Danny had been in all day with the anticipation of the date was quickly going out the window as he talked to Flack. "Thanks for the vote of confidence. I thought you were my friend."

"I am." Flack assured him. Before his tone had been teasing with just a hint of seriousness. Now all teasing stopped and his voice had a hard edge to it. "I'm also Lindsay's friend. And as a friend to both of you, I care about what happens. Lindsay is the best you've had, have and can ever hope to have. I don't want to see either of you hurt."

Danny shoved the tail of his shirt into his jeans. Part of him appreciated what Flack was trying to do but it still irked him that his friend had assumed the worst. "Yeah, I know that; that is why I'm taking her out tonight; not because I did something wrong but because I'm trying to do something right. Now, if you are through with your conjugation of the verb have in regards to my relationship with my wife; I have to go."

Flack watched him storm off and realized he'd goofed up. He had started off just meaning to tease his friend but as Danny seemed to have taken it seriously, Flack had begun to believe that something had really happened. He still thought something was wrong but he'd never meant to hurt his friend the way it seemed he had. He tried to follow in order to apologize but Danny had apparently taken the stairs instead of the elevator. He reached for his phone and dialed his friend's cell phone but Danny didn't answer. He dialed another number. "Hey, Linds, Flack. I screwed up."

- CSI: NY - CSI: NY - CSI: NY -

By the time Danny arrived at his parents' house in Staten Island with Lucy in tow, he'd calmed down enough to realize that he'd probably over reacted to Flack's teasing. Sure, it had hurt but Flack hadn't meant any harm and was only trying to be a good friend. The hardest part was that Flack was partially right; he did feel guilty about the time he'd spent away from the family; even guiltier about the events, however innocent he might have been in them, that had led to him coming back to the lab. He was trying to make amends but hearing the accusation from Flack had made these attempts to be a better husband, father, and son seem different than what he wanted them to be. It wasn't Flack's fault because the detective didn't know the whole story but it didn't make it hurt any less.

He opened the back door and Lucy, who had learned how to unbuckle herself from the booster seat, practically jumped into his arms. She buried her face into the crook of his neck and giggled.

"Daddy smell good."

The giggle and the compliment went a long way to restoring his previous good mood and he hugged her tightly. "Thanks, Lucy. I hope your mommy agrees. You'll be a good girl for Nonni and Poppi right?"

She nodded solemnly. "I p'omise."

He carried her up the walkway and then into the house. Anna came out of the kitchen, smiling, as they came in. "There you are." She gave Lucy a quick kiss. "Lucy, I made your favorite for supper."

Lucy's eyes lit up. "Sketti?"

Anna nodded. "How about you go to the kitchen and sweet talk your poppi into getting you a big bowl. I'll be there in a minute." Danny set his toddler on the floor and she practically scampered into the kitchen. His mother gave him an appraising look. "You look handsome, son, but you could have shaved."

"Ma, Lindsay likes me scruffy." Danny protested. Anna gave him a wink.

"Then you look perfect. The two of you have fun and don't worry about Lucy at all."

He gave her a kiss and then hugged her tightly, his earlier mood from his conversation with Flack creeping back to him. Anna pulled back and gave him a quizzical look. "What's wrong, Daniel? Don't lie to me; I know you too well."

"Ma, am I crazy to for doing this? I want to show Lindsay how much I love her and that I am a good husband like I promised her I would be but am I trying too hard? During the investigation there were all these accusations being made about me and Cooper. Lindsay swore she never believed them but what if she sees me doing all this and starts to wonder if it's to atone for some wrong doing?"

Anna lovingly caressed his cheek. "Daniel, of my two boys, you are definitely the smarter one. But sometimes you can be a little dense. I think it's because you have a tendency to over think things. Lindsay knows you didn't do anything wrong and that you are a good husband and a loving father. You don't have to take her on fancy dates to prove that to her but the fact that you are making the effort to do something special means the world to her. Yes, you are crazy. Crazy in love with your wife. Now, get out of here before you are late. If tonight is half as special as the other night was for me, then Lindsay will be the envy of every wife in the world."

Danny smiled. "I love you, Ma."

"I love you too, son. Go, get out of here before Lindsay calls looking for you. Be careful."

- CSI: NY - CSI: NY - CSI: NY -

Danny arrived back at the apartment with plenty of time to spare. He let himself quietly into the apartment, stopping short of the whole dating experience by not knocking. As soon as the door opened, Lindsay stood up from the couch and turned to face him, a soft smile on her face.

Danny's heart skipped a beat and he felt his pants tighten to an almost uncomfortable level at the breathtaking sight that awaited him. In his mind, Lindsay could tumble out of bed in her fuzzy comfortable pajamas with her hair all tousled and not a hint of makeup on her face and still be the most beautiful woman in the world. But that beauty paled in comparison to the sight that now awaited him.

She was wearing a black skirt that was short enough to be provocative without being too short. The short sleeved blue cashmere sweater matched his shirt perfectly and hugged her bodily curves even more so. She'd styled her short brown hair in soft waves and her make-up expertly accentuated her already perfect features. Try as she might to feel self conscious about her looks after having a baby, Danny knew beyond a doubt that she was still just as beautiful if not more so today than she'd been the day he first met her at the zoo. He swallowed hard, not sure that he would even be able to speak but finally managing just one word. "Wow."

Her smile broadened in appreciation and a slight blush crept into her cheeks. "Thanks, you look pretty hot yourself."

Walking around the couch, she stepped into his waiting arms which tightened around her. Her head tilted upward as his bent down in perfect choreography so that their lips met in toe curling, heart stopping kiss that seemed to last a lifetime. One of his hands slipped under her sweater to caress the bare skin beneath while the other cupped her cheek and jaw line in order to guide her head even closer to him.

For a moment, Danny wondered why he'd even made plans because all he wanted was to guide her toward their bedroom and slowly undress her like a present before laying her down on the bed to make mad passionate love to her until neither of them could move. The way she was responding to his kiss, he didn't think she'd protest. But tonight wasn't just about sex, although he was sure the date would end with them fulfilling those desperate promises their bodies seem to be making to each other. No, tonight was something much more special and precious and he didn't want Lindsay to miss out on a moment of the attention he wanted to dote on her.

So with reluctance and every ounce of will power he possessed, he broke off the kiss but didn't release her. Lindsay slowly licked her lower lip and her body suddenly shivered with desire. They continued to just stare at each other for a few minutes, their eyes and bodies have a conversation where no words were needed. When Danny finally spoke, his voice was husky with undisguised emotion.

"I think we should probably get out of here. Do you mind if we walk? We could take the Avalanche but I just like the idea of being closer to you than I'd be with a console between us."

Lindsay grinned at him. "I like that idea. You ready to tell me yet what you have planned? I've been dying of curiosity all day."

Danny grinned back at her. "You'll see when we get there. The curiosity hasn't killed you yet so I think you can survive a little longer." He removed his hand from the back of her sweater and tugged the material back into place before leading her to the door. Lindsay grabbed her small purse on the way out, draping the strap over her shoulder. Danny kept his arm securely around her waist as they walked down the hall toward the elevator.

Once the elevator closed and they were alone in the small cart, Lindsay leaned against him and looked up into his eyes, clearly searching for some sort of tell in them. Reaching up she ran her fingers across his barely there stubble. "Flack called me a little earlier."

Danny sighed. He'd ignored his own phone as he left the lab so he should have known that Flack would eventually call Lindsay instead. "I was a bit of an ass to him before I left the lab."

"Funny, he said the same thing about himself. He said his teasing went too far and he was sorry he'd hurt your feelings. He wasn't sure if you would ever talk to him again. I told him you valued your friendship too much to let anything ruin it."

"I should call him." With the hand that wasn't around her waist, he started to reach for his cell phone but Lindsay stopped him.

"I told him you would - tomorrow. I didn't go into detail because as sweet as I think what you are doing is, it's no one else's business and I don't think they'd understand it if you tried to explain it. But that's okay cause I understand and that's all that really matters, right?" He nodded and she continued. "I simply told him that everything was okay between us but that we were ensuring that it stayed that way by making time just for us. That he understood. Now, no more talk about Flack tonight; he's a good friend but I don't want him tagging along on our date, either physically or mentally."

"Yes Ma'am." Danny gave her waist an affectionate squeeze. They left their apartment and Danny steered her in the direction they needed to go. Again, Lindsay tried to get him to reveal their destination but he only chuckled at her attempts without giving anything away. The next few blocks, they walked in silence content to just be in each other's company.

Finally Danny stopped outside a building with music spilling out the door each time it opened. He swung her around to face him, wanting to see her face when she realized they had reached their destinations. Suddenly he was anxious; would she like his surprise or think he was a dork? He rushed to explain. "See I kind of feel like this is where we had our first date even if it wasn't really a date. I called and checked; there's a jazz band playing tonight - not Mac's either, and there'll be plenty of dancing." He practically held his breath waiting for her reaction. He didn't have to wait long.

"It's perfect." Lindsay assured him. Though it had been almost seven years since she'd asked him to meet him at Cozy's to prove that she knew their boss better than he did, it was like no time had passed. They had been just friends at the time but that flirty banter that had so characterized their first couple of years together had been so prominent in their lives that all their co-workers already assumed there was more going on between them than actually was. She never would have dreamed on that night just how far their relationship would go but perhaps it was better that way. It had made the journey with all its ups and down all the sweeter. Then she raised an eyebrow in question. "Plenty of dancing? I don't remember Cozy's having much of a dance floor."

Couples walked past them on their way into the club and gave them odd looks but Danny and Lindsay ignored them; only interested in each other at that moment. "Mac and I were talking last week and somehow the conversation got on the subject of his band. He started telling me that the owner of Cozy's had just completed some renovations of the second floor that had previously been unused. Downstairs is the same old Cozy's, tables bar, restaurant, band playing to entertain patrons but the upstairs had been turned into sort of a dance club. I kind of thought we could grab a quick bite downstairs and then dance the rest of the night away."

Lindsay pressed a quick kiss against his lips, her eyes almost dancing already. "You are such a romantic. I love you."

Relieved that she seemed to like the idea, Danny breathed a little easier and wrapped his arm back around her waist to lead her inside. They were shown to a table that he thought might actually be the same one they'd sat at that very first night they'd listened to Mac play for the first time. Danny chose to sit at a right angle to Lindsay's seat instead of completely opposite her. He couldn't stand the thought of being even that far away from her. This way, even while they ate, he could keep her hand firmly encased in his own warm grip.

While the meal he shared with his mother had been fancy and though not his usual fare, was meant to spoil and pamper the woman who'd given birth to him. Tonight, however was all about sweeping the woman he loved off her feet. He ordered the same food he'd ordered seven years ago while he and Lindsay had listened to Mac's band perform. The appetizer sampler sounded lacking in full meal potential but he knew from experience that the platter of bite sized morsels would be enough to fill them both. The look of delight on Lindsay's face when he gave the waiter their order told him he'd chosen correctly. As they waited for their meal, the waiter brought them their drinks, an Amaretto Sour for Lindsay and a beer for himself.

Lindsay played with the straw in her drink. "This is a perfect evening, Danny. Thank you."

Danny blushed slightly. "I wanted you to have a special evening. You deserve a special evening. Just because we're married doesn't mean I shouldn't make the effort to show you how much you mean to me."

Reaching up to caress his cheek, Lindsay shook her head. "Seriously? Do you realize how effortlessly you make showing me how much I mean to you seem? When you bump me in the lab just to have an excuse to touch me while we are at work, I know you love me. When I come home from a late shift to find you've already put Lucy to bed so all I have to do is sit on the couch and relax and you come over and rub my back or feet or whatever is aching; that says you love me as well. There hasn't been a day of our marriage that I've gone a second questioning whether or not you love me. Don't ever underestimate yourself, Danny."

His eyes felt a little watery but she simply wiped away any trace of tears with a gentle swipe of her thumb the way she'd done for Lucy so many times in the past couple of years. He captured that hand in his own and brushed his lips against her knuckles. "Still, dates have been more than a little lacking since Luce was born. She's important too and I love when we do things together but it seems like even when we get to do things without her its with the others from the lab. I want more nights like this when it's just you and me and nothing else matters. I want that for us."

Lindsay smiled at him. "I'm not disagreeing with you. I think tonight is great and we should do things more like this. But I don't want you to feel like you have to do things to show what a great husband and father you are. The only one that has any doubts about it is you. The fact that you are so worried about it only further proves it."

Danny nodded slightly. "I'll work on it." Just then the waiter brought their food and the serious talk ended. Over dinner they talked of nothing important but Danny held onto every word Lindsay said as if they were the most vital words every spoken.

Once dinner was over, Lindsay excused herself to visit the ladies' room while Danny took care of the bill. They agreed to meet at the top of the stairs to the club in a few minutes. Lindsay made quick work in the rest room and then did a quick check of her make up before ascending the stairs. Danny hadn't made it up yet so she stood off to the side where she was sure he could see her immediately when he did arrive.

A man who had already been in the dance club and who had obviously had too much to drink saw her standing there and staggered over. "Hey gorgeous, you must be one hell of a thief because you just stole my heart from across the room."

Lindsay rolled her eyes. Was the man that drunk or did he really think lines like that worked? She held up her left hand so that the light glinted off her wedding band. "No, but I am a hell of a cop; I'm also taken."

But the drunk didn't get the hint. He wrapped a meaty arm around her waist and pulled her close. "Cop, huh, even better; you can handcuff me anytime, preferable to some bed post. Don't worry about your guy; I'm sure he wouldn't mind sharing a little. Only a completely selfish ass would keep a gorgeous gal like yourself all to himself. I'm pretty sure that's even a crime in some places."

In a fluid motion that belied the strappy heals she was wearing, Lindsay deftly stepped out of his hold without touching him. She could have easily taken him down but she had a feeling he'd enjoy it too much and didn't want to give him the pleasure. "Take a walk buddy. I'm not interested and I should warn you that all through school my husband got U's in plays well with others because he doesn't like to share what's his."

"I ain't scared of him." The drunk continued belligerently. "Guy doesn't want someone tapping into his territory, he shouldn't leave such a fine specimen standing around all by her lonesome. He's just asking for someone to take you off his hands."

Danny had arrived upstairs in time to see the drunk approach Lindsay. He'd wanted to intervene immediately but there was something about watching his wife take down jerks like this one that was damn sexy to see so he'd stood back watching her work. Now, however, he'd had enough of the loud mouth drunk and stepped in. He grabbed the drunk's arm and twisted it up behind the man's back. His voice was low and menacing. "I think the lady asked you to leave her alone. Now, if you aren't careful you are going to get your wish with the handcuffs but it'll be with one of the biggest, meanest officers I can think to call. I hear there's a two for one special on cavity searches tonight at the local precinct. Want to try your luck there?"

"I…I…I… was just trying to be friendly. Sorry buddy. I didn't mean no harm. The lady looked lonely." He stammered all over himself. Danny released him but gave him a push toward the exit instead of the club.

"Trust me, lonely she ain't. Now get out of here before you really make me mad." The drunk staggered off but Danny stared at Lindsay instead. "You okay?"

Once again, Lindsay rolled her eyes. "Please, like he was ever a threat."

"My fault, really. You can't leave the most beautiful woman in the room all alone and not expect some bozo to try to stake a claim."

Lindsay giggled. Had anyone else fed her that line, she'd have found it cheesy and unflattering, but the way Danny said it, it didn't seem like a line at all. She stepped into his arms and kissed him warmly. "Most beautiful woman in the room, huh?'

"Forget the room." He murmured in her ear. "Most beautiful woman in the whole damn city, state; hell, maybe in the whole world. And if there is intelligent life out there in the cosmos somewhere then I'd say in the entire universe."

Lindsay almost melted in his arms. How did he always know what to say? She gazed lovingly into his eyes. "I'm surprised you waited as long as you did to step in. I'm impressed with the restraint that had to take."

Danny grinned, not willing to let that jerk ruin his evening. "Yeah, well, Ma said if I brought home one more U on my report card I couldn't take the car out any more. No way in hell I was sharing with him so I figured I'd share the honor of getting rid of the jerk with you. How'd I do?"

Lindsay giggled, enjoying the feel of being in his arms. "A+ all the way. Course, you always make the honor roll on my report card."

Danny paid the cover charge for them both and led her into the club. "A+ huh? Tonight once we get home, I plan on seeing if I can top that; how does that sound?"

"Sounds like a worthy endeavor." Lindsay murmured as their bodies began to move in time with the music.

Danny could remember some of the dances he'd attended while in school. Chaperones moving around the couples to make sure a modest amount of distance was kept between dance partners. How many times had he been tapped on the shoulder with a warning that he was dancing too close during those dances? As he held Lindsay close to him, he was glad those chaperones weren't there tonight. It didn't matter what tempo the music was keeping, their bodies moved in perfect sync with every song without allowing even a paper's width to come between them.

His eyes never left Lindsay as they danced. He loved watching the way her body moved to the faster paced songs; her moves reminded him of her personality; sassy, flirty, sexy as hell but it was the slow songs he really craved as they danced. Those were the ones he could really pull her flush against him, her head resting on his shoulder with a dreamy look on her face. The club was dark enough that he could lean down and steal slow romantic kisses as they swayed in time with the music.

Though the club was crowded, it was as if they were the only two that existed outside of the music. Hours passed and Lindsay never complained about needing to take a break because her feet hurt. Danny had never understood that about women he'd dated in the past. They would insist on wearing these impossibly high heals and then complain every two seconds about their feet hurting. He wasn't sure if she was just that comfortable in heels or if the pain didn't register because she was enjoying herself that much.

The music was too loud for much conversation but the two managed to somehow carry on the flirty banter that always seemed to come so natural to them both. Every warm chuckle, every smoldering glance of desire directed toward him, every stolen kiss seemed to sew up every fracture in his heart the way a doctor would suture lacerations in a bleeding patient. He never wanted the night to end. So when a hand tapped his shoulder, Danny was ready to slug whoever dared to try to cut in. He ignored the intrusion and continued to dance with his wife but whoever was trying to get his attention was insistent. They stopped dancing and Danny shot the intruder a glare. "Sir, I'm sorry to interrupt but we're getting ready to close. We announced last call thirty minutes ago."

Danny frowned and looked at his watch; his eyes widened when he realized it was almost three in the morning. Had they really danced that long? Lindsay giggled at crestfallen expression on her husband's face as he realized the date would be coming to a close. She lifted up on her tiptoes so she could whisper seductively in his ear. "We can't stay here but we could go home. We could pick up what we had started at the apartment earlier."

A shiver of wanton desire ran down his spine at the unspoken promise. Before they left Danny threw a twenty in the tip jar on the bar to make up for the drinks they hadn't left the dance floor to purchase and as an extra apology to making the club employees stay late because of them. As they stepped out into the street, there was a noticeable chill to the air and Danny wished he'd thought to wear a sports jacket that he could now drape across Lindsay's bare arms. Instead he tucked her closer into his arms as he hailed a taxi that would take them straight back to the apartment without the long walk.

Once back in the apartment, he made sure the door was securely locked before allowing Lindsay to lead him by the hand to the bedroom. They didn't need to turn on any lights to see what they were doing. As they stood in each other's arms next to the bed, Lindsay's fingers made quick work of the buttons on his shirt before pushing it off his shoulders. She ran her hands over his chest above his wife beater and Danny once more shivered in pleasure. He leaned forward to kiss her before running his hands under her sweater once more. Soon her blouse joined his shirt and his hands had an opportunity to explore.

There was no rush as they took their time disrobing each other and enjoying the opportunity to touch and caress each other in the process. Once they were both fully undressed, Danny tipped Lindsay backward until he had lowered them both to the bed. Still there was no hurry; they had all the time in the world to express their love for each other. And express it they did, over and over again until as he'd wanted to earlier neither could or wanted to move.

The sun was beginning to show through the curtains by the time they both fell into an exhausted but fully sated sleep. Their bodies were still pressed close together and their arms and legs entwined together. Lindsay's face was hidden buried into Danny's bare chest. Danny's rested on the pillow, his face slack in sleep but there was a peaceful expression that had been missing for the longest time. Lines of worry that had threatened to be permanent features around his eyes were eased. The ghosts of doubt and inadequacy weren't forever exorcised but at least for the time being had been banned from his being.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Notes: And the final installation: Danny's date with Lucy. Starts off at the end of the episode _Means to an End _and before the start my story _Coming to Terms. _Hope you enjoy. Warning there is a character in this chapter that uses some curse words but nothing you can't hear on regular tv.

Disclaimer: CBS, Anthony E. Zuiker, Carol Mendelsohn, and Ann Donahue own all rights to the characters and premise of the show. I am making no money off this story and it is for entertainment purposes only. However, this particular story is my creation and should not be used without my express written permission.

Reconnecting to What's Important

Chapter 4

Lindsay dropped the blood soaked cotton swab into the evidence bag and sealed it. It was hard to remain objective while working a case where you knew the blood you were taking samples of belonged to a friend and a colleague but she was trying hard to do so. She'd been just about to sign out for the day when the call had come in that Jo had been attacked in a victim's apartment and had ultimately shot and killed John Curtis, the rapist they'd been investigating. Lindsay was currently alone in the apartment with just a couple of uniforms standing guard at the door while she processed the scene. The ME's office had just removed Curtis's body and Mac had followed Jo down to the ambulance where paramedics were checking her out.

Her phone chirped from her holster and she pulled off one of her gloves before answering it. "Messer."

"_Your daughter is being difficult_." Danny's voice sounded exasperated even over the phone.

She smiled softly; even when he was calling with an apparent problem, just the sound of his voice helped to ground her during a difficult case. "Why is it that Lucy is my daughter when she's being difficult and your daughter when she's doing something cute and adorable?"

"_Because I was a perfect child who never did anything wrong_." Danny explained, sounding as if it should have been perfectly honest.

Lindsay snorted. "Right, allow me to put you on hold while I call your mother and get her to confirm this theory. What's Lucy done now? Shouldn't the two of you be heading out for the night?"

The sigh she heard Danny emit was long suffering. "I would love to be out of here but Lucy's done that hiding thing with my keys and I can't get her to tell me where they are. She wanted to play the Hot/Cold game she likes so much and I may have gotten a little frustrated and snapped when I shouldn't have. Now she's pouting and won't tell me anything. Help, this date is not going the way I planned."

Lindsay looked around the crime scene. She had work that had to be done. IAB was going to be all over this case since it was an officer related shooting. Mac would be back up as soon as he was sure Jo was going to be okay and he'd expect the work to be done. However, that paled in her mind to her family's current plight. "Hand her the phone."

She heard Lucy sniffling as soon as Danny passed the phone to the two-year-old. "Hey Lucyboo."

"Daddy mean. He no p'ay wit me." Lucy accused through her tears.

"That's because Daddy really wanted to take you somewhere really special and he can't do that without his keys. Remember that's why you're wearing your extra special dress and your pretty black shoes? But if you'd rather stay home tonight and play Hot/Cold with Daddy I guess he can put aside his disappointment and play along. Is that what you want?"

"S'prise. P'eas, Mommy." Lindsay smiled at the almost 180 degree turn in her daughter.

"It's not up to me, Sweetie. You may can convince your daddy to still give you your surprise if you dry those tears and go get his keys for him. It might also help if you told him you didn't think he was mean. I'll talk to you him while you do that."

"'tay. Daddy not mean. I torry." She could hear Lucy squealing as she handed the phone back and ran to retrieve the hidden keys. Danny's voice returned a second later.

"Thanks, Babe. You are amazing. I'm sorry I had to call you; you're still at that crime scene you got called to at the last minute aren't you? Is it bad?"

She called to tell him that she would be delayed and that he'd have to dress himself and Lucy for their night out but she hadn't told him what the scene entailed. She sighed. "Not as bad as it could have been." She quickly filled him in on what had happened to Jo. He gave a low whistle.

"Damn." The word was drawn out . "At the risk of this sounding completely unfeeling of me, I am seriously thankful that you weren't the one who went to that apartment to collect the evidence. Is Jo okay?"

"A little worse for wear but she'll recover. The IAB investigation will probably be just as bad as Curtis' attack. You know all about that." She knew what he'd been trying to say. It wasn't that he was glad that Jo had been hurt; he was just thankful that it hadn't been his wife left at the mercy of the rapist.

"Yeah, not an experience I'm in a hurry to repeat." She heard Lucy's voice as she came back in the room and Danny turned to address her. "Thanks, Baby. Daddy's really proud of you. Go get your cute little purse and we'll be ready." Then he turned his attention back to the phone. "Babe, do I need to postpone…"

"No!" Lindsay insisted. "You already have the tickets for the puppet show and Lucy is excited about spending the evening with her daddy. I'm going to be tied up here and at the lab for another hour or so and then I'll probably wait around to check on Jo. Go and have fun. Just please get someone to take a picture of the two of you all dressed up so I don't miss it." She'd seen Danny dressed up for dinner with his mother and for herself but neither compared to what he planned to wear for his "theater date" with Lucy. She had pressed his best suit the night before so that it was all ready for tonight. She didn't mind working overtime but she hated not being there to see her husband and daughter off for their evening together.

"I will. I love you, Babe. Be careful."

With his parting words still warm in her ear, Lindsay ended the call and replaced her cell phone in her holster just as Mac reentered the apartment. His expression was grim.

"How's Jo?"

"Lucky to be alive and as stubborn as hell. She refused to go to the hospital so she's being escorted back to the precinct by IAB. I hate to leave the crime scene for you to process by yourself but I want to be there when they question her even if they won't let me in the room with them. I can call someone else-"

Lindsay shook her head. "No, if you called someone in it would have to be Danny and he has important plans with Lucy tonight. I'm just about done here anyway. Go to the precinct with Jo; I'll finish up here and then check in with you to see how she is."

Mac smiled his thanks and left the apartment.

- CSI: NY - CSI: NY - CSI: NY -

Danny replaced the receiver but continued to stare at it as if it could answer all of his concerns. John Curtis was dead and couldn't hurt anybody ever again but still Danny had to suppress the shudder of fear at the realization it could have just as easily been Lindsay to have questioned the witness earlier and gone back to the apartment to collect the evidence that would convict Curtis and therefore for been there at the mercy of the sadistic rapist. It wasn't that he was glad that it had been Jo instead or that he didn't think Lindsay was capable of handling herself. On the contrary, he knew his wife was more than capable of protecting herself but he hated the thought of her having to do so.

He knew from first hand experience how draining an IAB investigation could be and he didn't envy Jo for what she was about to endure. Her part in all of this would be far from over but he was glad Curtis's death brought an end of the investigation for everyone else. While it had been emotionally draining especially for Jo, no one had been immune to the impact of the investigation. Though Lindsay hadn't said much about it, he knew it had been especially tough on her. She'd had no choice but to tell the truth about the evidence at the Curtis hearing but it hadn't been easy on her knowing that testimony had led to his release. Not to mention the verbal attacks she'd had to overhear the Senator spew afterward had been devastating to her. He'd heard through the lab grapevine about the confrontation between Jo and Lindsay in the hallway not long after the case surfaced. The protective side of him had wanted to demand that Jo apologize for her cutting words but Lindsay had begged him not to say anything. She had explained to him that she understood the stress the case had caused Jo and that she knew Jo hadn't meant to hurt her feelings. Danny was less enthusiastic about forgiving their friend but that was one of the ways love worked. Had the positions been reversed and it had been Danny on the receiving end of Jo's rant; Lindsay would have been more upset about it. He too understood how some cases could get to you and make you say things you wouldn't ordinarily say but as a husband he hated it to be directed at Lindsay.

"Daddy, I p'itty?" Lucy came running back into the room, her small Mary Jane's tapping on the wooden floor. She practically flew into his arms with no trace of her earlier sulk. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly, resolved to put his worry about the case aside in order to enjoy his evening with Lucy.

"The prettiest I've ever seen, Luce." And she was. The dress that Lindsay had put out for Lucy to wear was a red dress with a frilly skirt and a black belt cinched at the waist. Stella had sent it to her last year as a Christmas present and fortunately it still fit her perfectly.

Lucy's grin was broad. "Daddy p'itty too."

"Handsome, Lucy. Daddy is handsome and Mommy and Lucy are pretty. Okay?"

"'tay."

Before leaving the apartment Danny doubled checked to make sure he had the tickets in his pocket. When his mother had first recommended the play as a possible activity to do with Lucy, he'd been a little skeptical. After all, his mother had been the ones to buy them tickets to Avenue Q after hearing that the Broadway show featured puppets. Neither he nor Lindsay had had the heart to tell her that puppets or not, the show wasn't child friendly. But after checking for himself, he knew that tonight's performance at the community theater was designed with children in mind.

He loaded Lucy into the Avalanche and drove toward Staten Island. He turned the volume up on one of Lucy's CD's and the two sang along with all of Lucy's favorite songs the entire drive to the diner where he was taking Lucy for supper before the performance.

Once at the table, Danny looked over the menu. "What do you think, LucyLu? You want chicken tenders, grilled cheese, or spaghetti?"

"Ch'en 'enders." Lucy answered without hesitation. He wasn't surprised. Even at her young age, she'd discovered the truth that nobody fixed spaghetti the way his ma did. He ordered the tenders for Lucy and a hamburger for himself. While they waited, Lucy babbled on about her day at school. Danny couldn't understand most of what she was saying but listened with rapt attention as if it were the most important thing in the world.

The waitress brought their dinners and then left the table after cooing a moment over how cute Lucy looked. He was about to ask Lucy if she wanted him to cut up her tenders so she could eat them better but was distracted from his daughter's animated story by a harsher voice from the next table. "I know you are still home; pick up damnit. Okay fine, be that way. I've looked all in the bag you packed the kids and Bethann's breathing machine isn't there. You know I'll need it before she goes to bed tonight or she'll have a bad asthma attack. If you can manage to tear yourself away from that boy toy of yours long enough, give me a call so we can arrange a pick up." There was a slight pause and then the voice continued. "Stupid bitch screening her calls from me. Bethann, eat your sandwich, we don't have all night. Bobby, use your fork like you have some sense. What kind of damn table manners has that Bitch of a mom taught you?"

Lucy's eyes got wide and Danny's good mood soured just a little as he shot a glare over to the man spewing the foul language. The man was about Danny's own age and he was eating with his kids. The children, a boy who looked to be not much older than Lucy and a little girl about a year older than him, were adorable little towheads who looked just about as miserable as their father looked aggravated. The little girl's lower lip started to quiver as she pushed the plate further away from her as if it held something totally disgusting.

"Don't cry, Bethann. You aren't a baby anymore. Just eat it for Daddy, please." Danny glanced over in time to see the little boy look at his spaghetti covered fingers and obviously decided he didn't want the lingering sauce on his hands. The upset father groaned when the boy swiped his hand on his light blue shirt leaving a stained mess in its wake. "Bobby, damnit, use a napkin son. Geesh."

Danny wanted to say something to the man about watching his language around small children but could almost hear Lindsay's voice in his head warning him it wasn't worth ruining his evening over. Instead he decided to lead by example instead. He tied one of the cloth napkins around her neck to catch any drips instead of it landing on her pretty dress. Then he kissed her forehead.

"Hey Princess, you need Daddy to help you with that? How about some ketchup for your fries?"

"P'eas and t'ank you, Daddy." Lucy waited as he cut up the meat but continued to watch the activity at the other table. Her smiles turned to frowns. "Daddy, dat man mean. He maked her cry. Go 'rest him."

Danny's ears turned red as her honest and Frank assessment but was grateful that the people at the other table didn't seem to hear her staged whisper. He put a finger to his lips to further quiet her as he made sure her plate was the way she liked it.

The man's cell phone rang and he answered it. "Took you long enough."

As Lucy settled into shoveling bite sized pieces of chicken in her mouth, Danny dressed his own burger and tried to ignore what was going on less than four feet away. Sure, he'd had his moments of losing his patience with Lucy from time to time - the incident with the missing keys and the painful stab of hearing his daugther call him mean as a result quickly sprang to mind- but he couldn't recall a time that he'd ever been that harsh with his daughter. Instead, he and Lindsay would tag team those difficult terrible two moments so when one parent got too frustrated, he or she could step aside and let the other handle it while getting emotions under control.

"Can't you bring it by the apartment when you and what's his name head out to do whatever it is you have planned for tonight that was so important that I had to take the kids for the night or at least meet me halfway? Fine, after we eat I'll load the kids up and we'll drive all the way back across town and pick it up. Just leave the damn bag with your doorman." He terminated the call and glared at his daughter who still hadn't touched her sandwich. "Bethann, you told me you wanted grilled cheese so I ordered you grilled cheese. So help me if you don't eat every bite of that sandwich you won't get anything else the rest of the night."

"It's icky, Daddy. They fixed it wrong." The little girl insisted bitterly.

The man sighed, his patience at an end. "It's bread and cheese, how can it be fixed wrong? I don't have time for you to pull this picky eater junk; eat the damn sandwich so we can go get your machine. I swear your mother does this stuff just to see me upset."

Again the little girl's lip quivered and she folded her arms defiantly across her chest. "Mommy's right. You are a do-do head. I hate you. I want to go home to Mommy."

"Yeah, well, Mommy's too busy trying to get laid to be a mommy tonight so you're stuck with me." It looked like he was about to go further when Danny decided he had had enough.

He didn't appreciate the man's crude language around such small children and knew he had to intervene before it got any worse. He wasn't sure if the man was really that much of jerk or was just letting his emotions get the best of him but he felt as an officer and a father himself he needed to do something before the situation got out of hand.

"You know, my daughter won't touch a sandwich no matter if it's her favorite unless I cut the crust off first."

The man frowned and then looked at his own daughter. "Is that why you aren't eating?" Bethann nodded as a fat tear ran down her cheek. Almost surprised, the man took the plate and cut off the offending pieces and even cut the sandwich into triangles before handing it back to her. Bethann immediately picked up the sandwich quarter and started to eat. Shaking his head, he glanced back at Danny. "Thanks. I guess you think I should know my kids better than that."

Danny shook his head, suddenly sensing that the man's ire had little to do with his normal personality and more with some other frustration. "I spent two months just thinking Lucy didn't like my cooking as much as her mother's before I figured out that trick. Here's another friendly piece of advice. Little ears tend to pick up on things pretty easily. I know I wouldn't want my daughter using some of those words you've been using or questioning what some of those terms mean."

The man had the decency to look embarrassed. "Sorry. I love them both but I feel like I'm a stranger to them. Not to mention, my ex brings out the worse in me. We've been divorced for five months and I've had to fight tooth and nail to get any of my court ordered visitation rights. But let her have something she wants to do and I'm expected to drop everything at a moment's notice to keep the kids. She winds me up and I start taking it out them before I even think about it."

"Gone gone, Daddy." Bobby proudly displayed his empty plate, although half of the spaghetti seemed to be on his face and hands rather than in his stomach. For a moment it looked like the man was going to explode once more but then he shook his head, resigned to the mess. He picked up one of the napkins and looked from it to his son's face trying to figure out how to attack the mess.

Danny knew from experience that the dry cloth wasn't going to made a dent in the spaghetti stain. He looked over at Lucy. "Lucy, can Daddy see your purse please?"

Lucy handed it over to him without question and then returned to shoveling the chicken bites into her mouth like she hadn't eaten in days. He cautioned her to slow down and chew her food completely where she wouldn't choke. Opening the purse he pulled out the sandwich baggie full of wet wipes that he had known Lindsay would have placed in the purse for just such occasions. He pulled out a couple and offered them to the man before returning the purse to Lucy.

"Thanks again. I always swore I'd never be one of those fathers who yelled more than he said 'I love you.' I wanted to be the father my kids enjoyed spending time with and do fun things together with. I wanted to be the father that people saw in public with his kids and wanted to be. Even when my marriage was falling apart I tried to make sure Bethann and Bobby weren't affected by it. There wasn't anything I could do to save my marriage but I still swore I'd be that father my kids deserved. Then the divorce got messy and every mistake I'd ever made came out in court and the judge didn't think I was fit for joint custody. Now I'm the guy my kids hate and don't want to spend time with. The guy other dads, dads like I wanted to be, have to remind how to act in public."

He sighed and continued. "Sorry, you don't want to hear all my troubles; you're trying to enjoy an evening out with your own kid. It just felt good to be honest with someone who's obviously got this daddy thing down right. Someone who appears to be that dad that I want to be. You must get more practice at it than I do. Your ex lets you see your little girl a lot?"

"I'm not divorced so yeah I see Lucy every day but it's never enough time."

The man cleaned off the little boy's face, the wet wipe making the job much easier. "Sorry, I guess I assumed since the two of you were alone together. Now you must really think I'm a chump; can't get the marriage thing or the daddy thing right."

Danny shrugged, feeling sorry for the other man. It was hard enough for him to cope when work kept him away from his family; how would he survive if his visits were cut down to every other weekends and two weeks in the summer? He said a silent prayer of thanks that as long as his marriage to Lindsay remained as strong as it was he'd never have to find out. He could understand the desire this man had to be a good father; hadn't he been struggling with the same fears? His own fears that he'd neglected his family was the major motivating factor for deciding on these dates in the first place. Hearing this man who didn't know him at all tag him as a good father in such a short amount of time made him feel like maybe he really was the great father Lindsay and his mother had tried to assure him that he was.

"So maybe the marriage thing didn't work too well for you this time. It happens. But, it's not too late to get the daddy thing right. You might not get to spend all the time with them that you want to but make the most of what time you do get. Sometimes it really is the quality rather than the quantity that matters."

The man nodded and then smiled at his daughter who had also finished her crustless sandwich. "Any suggestions on how I do that?"

"Lucy likes to call it the Thumper rule. If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. That would include not calling their mom bad names; you can't control what she says about you but you can be the better example. Instead of being so angry at your ex that you take it out on them, focus on making them happy instead. Tell them you love them and do fun things with them. Enjoy the time you do get with them and make it enjoyable for them as well."

"So quit worrying about being a good father and just be one?"

Danny realized that was what he'd been trying to do. He shook his head. "Not entirely. I think worrying about being a good father is one of the things that ensures we don't mess it up. Just don't worry about it so much that lose out on those special moments. What do you have planned for them tonight?"

"I don't know. I didn't know I would have them until a couple of hours ago."

Danny told him about the puppet show and that he was sure there were still tickets available. Again the man thanked him and they both paid their bills in order to leave. Danny watched as the man held his children's hands as he led them from the diner and couldn't help but smile. He realized the advice he'd given the man was pretty much what others had tried to tell him. Maybe he did miss out on some things in Lucy's life because of work but he did his very best to make up for it when he did. That was what was important.

Even though Lucy was very capable of walking by herself, Danny swung her up in his arms anyway. The day would come that she was too big for him to carry around and he wanted to enjoy it while it lasted. He planted a noisy kiss on her cheek and chuckled when she squealed and twisted in his arms.

"You ready to go have some fun, Lucy?"

- CSI: NY - CSI: NY - CSI: NY -

It was almost ten before Danny used his key to unlock the apartment and let himself in. Lucy had thoroughly enjoyed the puppet show and the ice cream afterward. Exhaustion had won out on the ride home though and she was completely conked out on his shoulder as he entered the apartment.

Lindsay had heard the key in the lock and rose from the couch to meet him at the door. She kissed him warmly and lightly pushed Lucy's baby fine hair out of her face before smiling at the serene face. "Did you have fun?"

"Every second of the evening. How's Jo?"

"She'll be fine; we can talk about it in the morning. For now, let's put Lucy to bed and you tell me about your night. I want to hear all about it." She took him by the hand and started to lead him toward their daughter's bedroom. Instead he tugged her hand to make her look back at him. His eyes were serious and full of question.

"I'm a good father, right?" His heart was telling him that he was despite all his worries but he wanted to hear it from Lindsay one more time. She walked back to him and wrapped her arm around his waist before kissing him once again. Then she bit her lip.

"No." His face fell instantly but she brushed a hand lovingly against his cheek. "Look at her, Danny. She's healthy and happy and adores you more than anything. You aren't a good father; you are a great father. And you're a great husband. You shouldn't need me or anyone else to tell you that. But if you need me to, I'll be happy to remind you of that as much as I have to."

His smile returned as he kissed her once again. "I love you, Lindsay. And maybe I'm crazy for worrying about this so much but if it makes me appreciate what I've been given then I'm going to spend as much time as I can proving to myself that I am that husband and father people look at in public and want to be."

- CSI: NY - CSI: NY - CSI: NY -

"Seriously? That's what you've been doing?" Flack shook his head and he glanced at the article Danny had handed him. Though they had talked several times since the misunderstanding the night of Danny's date with Lindsay, Danny had felt the need to really explain to his best friend what was going on."

Danny nodded. "I've taken all three of the women in my life out and I plan on making it a regular thing. Maybe nothing as elaborate as the first dates but enough that they know they're important to me. It really felt good doing something special for each of them."

Flack just stared at him for several seconds. Then a huge grin broke out on his face. "Five years ago, if someone had asked me if I ever saw you as the settled down type I would have laughed in their face. But I gotta say marriage and fatherhood looks good on you. You got something special and you don't take it for granted. Maybe one day I can be half as lucky as you are. If I am, I know who I'll go to for advice on how not to mess it up. I don't want to sound all cheesy and girly here but I'm proud of you, Danny. Proud to call you a friend."

Outwardly Danny scoffed but inwardly he was pleased to hear the endorsement his friend was offering. They finished their lunch and after paying his share, Danny said his goodbyes and returned to work. Flack continued to sit there for several more minutes, reading the article that Danny had left with him. Then he reached for his phone and selected the number he wanted. It was answered by the third ring.

"Hey Sam? It's Don. No, nothing's wrong; just haven't talked to you in awhile. How're ya doing?" He smiled as he listened to her answer. "That's great. I'm glad the job is going well. Listen, do you have any plans for tonight? No, great; I'd like to treat you to dinner." He shook his head in amusement as Sam once more asked him what was wrong. "Seriously, nothing is wrong; just want to show my little sister that I love her. That ain't a crime is it?"

- CSI: NY -

The End

Author's Note 2: So that brings this story to a close. It ended up becoming a little heavier than the mere fluff I had intended but I liked the way it came out. I hope you enjoyed it as well. Reviews are always appreciated.


End file.
